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Permission Management RESTHeart Cloud

🔧 Configuration

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Sets localhost:8080 with admin:secret
Values are saved in your browser

⚡ Setup Guide

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To run the examples on this page, you need a RESTHeart instance.

Option 1: Use RESTHeart Cloud (Recommended)

The fastest way to get started is with RESTHeart Cloud. Create a free service in minutes:

  1. Sign up at cloud.restheart.com

  2. Create a free API service

  3. Set up your root user following the Root User Setup guide

  4. Use the configuration panel above to set your service URL and credentials

Tip
 All code examples on this page will automatically use your configured RESTHeart Cloud credentials.

Option 2: Run RESTHeart Locally

If you prefer local development, follow the Setup Guide to install RESTHeart on your machine.

Note
 Local instances run at http://localhost:8080 with default credentials admin:secret

Introduction

This section provides comprehensive information about managing permissions in RESTHeart using the ACL (Access Control List) based authorization system.

RESTHeart’s pluggable security architecture supports different authorizers. This documentation focuses on mongoAclAuthorizer and fileAclAuthorizer, which share the same permission format:

  • mongoAclAuthorizer: Stores permissions as JSON documents in a MongoDB collection (default: /acl)

  • fileAclAuthorizer: Stores permissions in a YAML configuration file

Both authorizers provide a powerful, declarative ACL-based model for fine-grained access control.

Tip
 For an overview of RESTHeart’s security architecture, see Security Overview and Authorization.

Permission Format

A permission document defines who can access what resources under which conditions. The structure is the same whether stored in MongoDB (JSON) or in a configuration file (YAML).

Permission Properties

Property Type Description

predicate

string

A undertow predicate that defines when the permission applies. If the predicate resolves to true, the request is authorized. See Understanding Predicates for details.

roles

array of strings

The roles that this permission applies to. Use the special role $unauthenticated for requests without authentication.

priority

number

When multiple permissions match a request, higher priority permissions are evaluated first. Use this to create hierarchical permission rules.

mongo

object or null

Optional. For requests to MongoDB REST API, specifies additional MongoDB-specific permissions. See MongoDB-Specific Permissions for details.

_id

string

(Optional but recommended) A unique identifier for the permission. Useful for updates and debugging.

description

string or array

(Optional) Human-readable description of what the permission does.

Basic Permission Example (JSON)

{
  "_id": "userCanReadInventory",
  "description": "Users can read the inventory collection",
  "roles": ["user"],
  "predicate": "path('/inventory') and method(GET)",
  "priority": 100
}

Basic Permission Example (YAML)

- _id: userCanReadInventory
  description: Users can read the inventory collection
  roles: [ user ]
  predicate: path('/inventory') and method(GET)
  priority: 100

Understanding Predicates

Predicates use the undertow predicate language to define conditions that must be met for a permission to apply.

Common Predicate Functions

Function Description Example

path()

Matches exact path

path('/inventory')

path-prefix()

Matches path prefix

path-prefix('/api')

path-template()

Matches path with variables

path-template('/{userid}/orders')

method()

Matches HTTP method

method(GET) or method(POST)

equals()

Compares two values

equals(@user._id, ${userid})

regex()

Matches path with regex

regex('/.*/orders')

Combining Predicates

Use and, or, and not to create complex conditions:

method(GET) and path-prefix('/api')
(method(GET) or method(POST)) and path('/users')
path-prefix('/admin') and not method(DELETE)

RESTHeart Custom Predicates

RESTHeart extends the undertow predicate language with additional predicates specifically designed for API security:

Query Parameter Predicates
Predicate Description Example

qparams-contain

Request must include specified query parameters

qparams-contain(page, pagesize)

qparams-blacklist

Request must NOT include blacklisted parameters

qparams-blacklist(filter, sort)

qparams-whitelist

Request must only include whitelisted parameters

qparams-whitelist(page, pagesize, limit)

qparams-size

Request must have exactly N query parameters

qparams-size(2)
Request Body Predicates (BSON/JSON)
Predicate Description Example

bson-request-contains

Request body must contain specified properties

bson-request-contains(name, email)

bson-request-whitelist

Request body can only contain whitelisted properties

bson-request-whitelist(title, status)

bson-request-blacklist

Request body must NOT contain blacklisted properties

bson-request-blacklist(password, secret)

bson-request-prop-equals

Property in request must equal a value

bson-request-prop-equals(key=status, value='"draft"')

bson-request-array-contains

Array property must contain all specified values

bson-request-array-contains(key=tags, values='"public"')

bson-request-array-is-subset

Array property must be subset of allowed values

bson-request-array-is-subset(key=roles, values={'user','admin'})
Note
 When using BSON predicates with values, use valid JSON/BSON syntax: "1" for strings, 1 for numbers, {"foo":"bar"} for objects.
Other Custom Predicates
Predicate Description Example

in

Check if value is in array

in(value=${tenant}, array=@user.tenants)

Using Variables in Predicates

Predicates can reference dynamic values using special variables:

Variable Description

@user

Properties of authenticated user (e.g., @user._id, @user.userid, @user.email)

@request

Request properties (e.g., @request.remoteIp)

@mongoPermissions

Current MongoDB permissions object (e.g., @mongoPermissions.writeFilter)

@now

Current date and time

@filter

Value of the filter query parameter

${variable}

Path template variable (e.g., ${userid} from path /{userid})
Example: User Can Only Access Their Own Data
{
  "_id": "userCanAccessOwnProfile",
  "roles": ["user"],
  "predicate": "path-template('/{userid}') and equals(@user._id, ${userid})",
  "priority": 100
}

This permission: - Matches paths like /john123, /mary456 - Extracts the {userid} from the path - Only authorizes if ${userid} equals the authenticated user’s _id

MongoDB-Specific Permissions

For requests handled by RESTHeart’s MongoDB REST API, you can specify additional fine-grained permissions using the mongo object.

MongoPermissions Structure

{
  "mongo": {
    "allowManagementRequests": false,
    "allowBulkPatch": false,
    "allowBulkDelete": false,
    "allowWriteMode": false,
    "readFilter": {"status": "public"},
    "writeFilter": {"author": "@user._id"},
    "mergeRequest": {"author": "@user._id", "createdAt": "@now"},
    "projectResponse": {"password": 0, "secret": 0}
  }
}

MongoPermissions Properties

Property Description

allowManagementRequests

Allows database/collection management operations (create/delete databases, collections, indexes, etc.). Default: false

allowBulkPatch

Allows bulk PATCH operations (updating multiple documents). Default: false

allowBulkDelete

Allows bulk DELETE operations (deleting multiple documents). Default: false

allowWriteMode

Allows using the ?wm=insert|update|upsert query parameter. Default: false

readFilter

Automatically adds filter conditions to all read operations

writeFilter

Limits write operations to documents matching the filter

mergeRequest

Automatically merges properties into write request bodies

projectResponse

Removes (or includes) specific fields from responses
Important
 Even if allowManagementRequests, allowBulkPatch, allowBulkDelete, or allowWriteMode is set to true, the permission’s predicate must also resolve to true for the request to be authorized.
readFilter

The readFilter adds a filter condition to all read operations (GET requests) authorized by this permission. This is useful for data partitioning by role.

{
  "roles": ["user"],
  "predicate": "method(GET) and path-prefix('/posts')",
  "mongo": {
    "readFilter": {
      "$or": [
        {"status": "public"},
        {"author": "@user._id"}
      ]
    }
  }
}

Users with the user role can only see posts that are either public OR authored by themselves.

writeFilter

The writeFilter limits write operations (PATCH, PUT, DELETE) to documents matching the specified condition.

{
  "roles": ["user"],
  "predicate": "method(PATCH) and path-prefix('/posts')",
  "mongo": {
    "writeFilter": {"author": "@user._id"}
  }
}
Warning
 writeFilter only restricts updates to existing documents. It cannot prevent creating documents that don’t match the filter. Use mergeRequest to enforce properties on creation.
mergeRequest

The mergeRequest automatically merges specified properties into the request body. This ensures certain fields are set server-side and cannot be overridden by clients.

{
  "roles": ["user"],
  "predicate": "method(POST) and path('/posts')",
  "mongo": {
    "mergeRequest": {
      "author": "@user._id",
      "status": "draft",
      "createdAt": "@now"
    }
  }
}

When a user creates a post, these properties are automatically added: - author is set to the user’s ID - status is set to "draft" - createdAt is set to the current timestamp

Tip
 Use mergeRequest together with writeFilter to ensure data integrity. Set required fields on creation, then restrict updates using the filter.
projectResponse

The projectResponse removes (or includes) specific fields from API responses. This is useful for hiding sensitive data.

Negative projection (hide specific fields):

{
  "roles": ["user"],
  "predicate": "path-prefix('/users')",
  "mongo": {
    "projectResponse": {"password": 0, "secret": 0, "internal.data": 0}
  }
}

Positive projection (only show specific fields):

{
  "roles": ["public"],
  "predicate": "path-prefix('/users')",
  "mongo": {
    "projectResponse": {"name": 1, "email": 1, "avatar": 1}
  }
}
Note
 You can use dot notation to hide nested properties: "internal.secret": 0

Permission Priority

When multiple permissions match a request, RESTHeart evaluates them in order of priority (higher numbers first).

[
  {
    "_id": "adminFullAccess",
    "roles": ["admin"],
    "predicate": "path-prefix('/')",
    "priority": 0,
    "mongo": {
      "allowManagementRequests": true,
      "allowBulkPatch": true,
      "allowBulkDelete": true,
      "allowWriteMode": true
    }
  },
  {
    "_id": "userLimitedAccess",
    "roles": ["user"],
    "predicate": "path-prefix('/')",
    "priority": 100,
    "mongo": {
      "readFilter": {"author": "@user._id"}
    }
  }
]

In this example: - userLimitedAccess (priority 100) is evaluated before adminFullAccess (priority 0) - If a user has both roles, the higher priority permission applies first

Tip
 Use priority to create exception rules. For example, give high priority to specific restrictions and low priority to general access rules.

Complete Permission Examples

Example 1: User Can Read Own Documents

{
  "_id": "userCanGetOwnCollection",
  "description": "Users can read their own collection with pagination",
  "roles": ["user"],
  "predicate": "method(GET) and path-template('/{userid}') and equals(@user._id, ${userid}) and qparams-contain(page) and qparams-blacklist(filter, sort)",
  "priority": 100,
  "mongo": {
    "readFilter": {
      "$or": [
        {"status": "public"},
        {"author": "@user._id"}
      ]
    },
    "projectResponse": {"log": 0}
  }
}

This permission: - Allows users to GET their own collection (e.g., /john123) - Requires the page query parameter - Blocks filter and sort query parameters - Only returns documents that are public OR authored by the user - Hides the log field from responses

Example 2: User Can Create Documents in Own Collection

{
  "_id": "userCanCreateDocumentsInOwnCollection",
  "description": "Users can create documents in their collection",
  "roles": ["user"],
  "predicate": "method(POST) and path-template('/{userid}') and equals(@user._id, ${userid})",
  "priority": 100,
  "mongo": {
    "mergeRequest": {
      "author": "@user._id",
      "status": "draft",
      "createdAt": "@now"
    }
  }
}

This permission: - Allows users to POST to their own collection - Automatically sets author, status, and createdAt fields - Prevents users from setting these fields to arbitrary values

Example 3: User Can Update Own Documents

{
  "_id": "userCanUpdateOwnDocuments",
  "description": "Users can update their own documents",
  "roles": ["user"],
  "predicate": "method(PATCH) and path-template('/{userid}/*') and equals(@user._id, ${userid})",
  "priority": 100,
  "mongo": {
    "writeFilter": {"author": "@user._id"},
    "mergeRequest": {
      "modifiedAt": "@now",
      "modifiedBy": "@user._id"
    }
  }
}

This permission: - Allows users to PATCH documents in their collection - Only allows updating documents where author matches the user’s ID - Automatically sets modifiedAt and modifiedBy on updates

Example 4: Admin Full Access

{
  "_id": "adminCanDoEverything",
  "description": ["Admin role can do everything"],
  "roles": ["admin"],
  "predicate": "path-prefix('/')",
  "priority": 0,
  "mongo": {
    "allowManagementRequests": true,
    "allowBulkPatch": true,
    "allowBulkDelete": true,
    "allowWriteMode": true
  }
}

Example 5: Public Read-Only Access

{
  "_id": "publicCanReadProducts",
  "description": "Unauthenticated users can read public products",
  "roles": ["$unauthenticated"],
  "predicate": "method(GET) and path('/products')",
  "priority": 100,
  "mongo": {
    "readFilter": {"published": true, "visibility": "public"},
    "projectResponse": {"internalNotes": 0, "cost": 0}
  }
}

Example 6: JWT-based Multi-tenant Access

- _id: jwtTenantAccess
  roles: [ jwt-user ]
  predicate: >
    path-template('/{tenant}/data')
    and in(value=${tenant}, array=@user.tenants)
  priority: 100
  mongo:
    readFilter: >
      {"tenantId": "${tenant}"}
    mergeRequest: >
      {"tenantId": "${tenant}", "userId": "@user.sub"}

This permission (YAML format): - Extracts {tenant} from path like /acme/data - Checks if user’s JWT contains tenant in their tenants array - Filters data by tenantId - Automatically adds tenantId and userId to write requests

Managing Permissions

With mongoAclAuthorizer (MongoDB Storage)

List All Permissions
cURL
curl -i -X GET [RESTHEART-URL]/acl \
  -H "Authorization: Basic [BASIC-AUTH]"
HTTPie
http GET [RESTHEART-URL]/acl \
  Authorization:"Basic [BASIC-AUTH]"
JavaScript
const credentials = btoa(`${username}:${password}`);

fetch('[RESTHEART-URL]/acl', {
  method: 'GET',
  headers: { 'Authorization': `Basic ${credentials}` }
})
.then(response => response.json())
.then(data => console.log('Permissions:', data));
Create a Permission
cURL
curl -i -X POST [RESTHEART-URL]/acl \
  -H "Authorization: Basic [BASIC-AUTH]" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "_id": "userCanReadInventory",
    "roles": ["user"],
    "predicate": "method(GET) and path-prefix(\"/inventory\")",
    "priority": 100
  }'
HTTPie
http POST [RESTHEART-URL]/acl \
  Authorization:"Basic [BASIC-AUTH]" \
  Content-Type:application/json \
  _id="userCanReadInventory" \
  roles:='["user"]' \
  predicate="method(GET) and path-prefix(\"/inventory\")" \
  priority:=100
JavaScript
const credentials = btoa(`${username}:${password}`);

fetch('[RESTHEART-URL]/acl', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': `Basic ${credentials}`,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    "_id": "userCanReadInventory",
    "roles": ["user"],
    "predicate": "method(GET) and path-prefix(\"/inventory\")",
    "priority": 100
  })
})
.then(response => {
  if (response.ok) console.log('Permission created');
});
Update a Permission
cURL
curl -i -X PATCH [RESTHEART-URL]/acl/userCanReadInventory \
  -H "Authorization: Basic [BASIC-AUTH]" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "priority": 200
  }'
HTTPie
http PATCH [RESTHEART-URL]/acl/userCanReadInventory \
  Authorization:"Basic [BASIC-AUTH]" \
  Content-Type:application/json \
  priority:=200
Delete a Permission
cURL
curl -i -X DELETE [RESTHEART-URL]/acl/userCanReadInventory \
  -H "Authorization: Basic [BASIC-AUTH]"
HTTPie
http DELETE [RESTHEART-URL]/acl/userCanReadInventory \
  Authorization:"Basic [BASIC-AUTH]"

With fileAclAuthorizer (Configuration File)

You can configure ACL permissions in two ways with fileAclAuthorizer:

Option 1: Inline Permissions (in main configuration file)

Define permissions directly in your main RESTHeart configuration file:

fileAclAuthorizer:
  permissions:
    - _id: adminFullAccess
      roles: [ admin ]
      predicate: path-prefix('/')
      priority: 0
      mongo:
        allowManagementRequests: true
        allowBulkPatch: true
        allowBulkDelete: true

    - _id: userCanReadInventory
      roles: [ user ]
      predicate: method(GET) and path-prefix('/inventory')
      priority: 100

    - _id: userCanCreateOwnData
      roles: [ user ]
      predicate: >
        method(POST)
        and path-template('/{userid}')
        and equals(@user._id, ${userid})
      priority: 100
      mongo:
        mergeRequest: >
          {"author": "@user._id", "createdAt": "@now"}
Option 2: Separate ACL Configuration File

Define permissions in a separate configuration file:

fileAclAuthorizer:
  conf-file: ./acl.yml

Then create acl.yml:

- _id: adminFullAccess
  roles: [ admin ]
  predicate: path-prefix('/')
  priority: 0
  mongo:
    allowManagementRequests: true
    allowBulkPatch: true
    allowBulkDelete: true

- _id: userCanReadInventory
  roles: [ user ]
  predicate: method(GET) and path-prefix('/inventory')
  priority: 100

- _id: userCanCreateOwnData
  roles: [ user ]
  predicate: >
    method(POST)
    and path-template('/{userid}')
    and equals(@user._id, ${userid})
  priority: 100
  mongo:
    mergeRequest: >
      {"author": "@user._id", "createdAt": "@now"}

After editing the configuration, restart RESTHeart to apply changes.

Configuration

mongoAclAuthorizer Configuration

mongoAclAuthorizer:
  acl-db: restheart
  acl-collection: acl
  # Users with root-role bypass all ACL checks
  root-role: admin
  cache-enabled: true
  cache-size: 1000
  cache-ttl: 5000
  cache-expire-policy: AFTER_WRITE

fileAclAuthorizer Configuration

fileAclAuthorizer:
  # Path to ACL configuration file (absolute or relative to restheart config)
  conf-file: ./acl.yml
  # Or define permissions inline:
  permissions:
    - role: admin
      predicate: path-prefix('/')
      priority: 0

Best Practices

1. Use Descriptive IDs and Descriptions

{
  "_id": "userCanReadOwnPosts",
  "description": "Users with 'user' role can read posts they authored or public posts",
  ...
}

2. Leverage Priority for Exception Handling

Use high priority for specific rules, low priority for general rules:

[
  {
    "_id": "blockSensitiveEndpoint",
    "roles": ["user"],
    "predicate": "path('/admin/secrets')",
    "priority": 1000,
    "mongo": null
  },
  {
    "_id": "allowGeneralAccess",
    "roles": ["user"],
    "predicate": "path-prefix('/admin')",
    "priority": 100
  }
]

3. Combine writeFilter and mergeRequest

Always use both together to ensure data integrity:

{
  "mongo": {
    "writeFilter": {"author": "@user._id"},
    "mergeRequest": {"author": "@user._id"}
  }
}

4. Test Permissions Thoroughly

Start with restrictive permissions and gradually add more access. Test with different user roles and edge cases.

5. Use projectResponse to Hide Sensitive Data

{
  "mongo": {
    "projectResponse": {
      "password": 0,
      "ssn": 0,
      "creditCard": 0
    }
  }
}

6. Whitelist Instead of Blacklist When Possible

Prefer bson-request-whitelist and qparams-whitelist over blacklists for better security:

bson-request-whitelist(name, email, age)  // Only these fields allowed

7. Use Path Templates for User-Scoped Resources

path-template('/{userid}/documents') and equals(@user._id, ${userid})

8. Document Your Permission Strategy

Maintain a clear permission hierarchy and document the roles and their intended access levels.

Common Patterns

Pattern 1: User-Owned Resources

{
  "_id": "userCRUDOwnResources",
  "roles": ["user"],
  "predicate": "path-template('/{userid}/*') and equals(@user._id, ${userid})",
  "priority": 100,
  "mongo": {
    "writeFilter": {"author": "@user._id"},
    "readFilter": {"author": "@user._id"},
    "mergeRequest": {"author": "@user._id"}
  }
}

Pattern 2: Public Read, Authenticated Write

[
  {
    "_id": "publicCanRead",
    "roles": ["$unauthenticated"],
    "predicate": "method(GET) and path-prefix('/posts')",
    "priority": 100,
    "mongo": {
      "readFilter": {"status": "published"}
    }
  },
  {
    "_id": "userCanWrite",
    "roles": ["user"],
    "predicate": "(method(POST) or method(PATCH)) and path-prefix('/posts')",
    "priority": 100,
    "mongo": {
      "mergeRequest": {"author": "@user._id"}
    }
  }
]

Pattern 3: Multi-Tenant with JWT

- _id: tenantDataAccess
  roles: [ tenant-user ]
  predicate: >
    path-template('/{tenantId}/data')
    and in(value=${tenantId}, array=@user.tenants)
  priority: 100
  mongo:
    readFilter: >
      {"tenantId": "${tenantId}"}
    writeFilter: >
      {"tenantId": "${tenantId}"}
    mergeRequest: >
      {"tenantId": "${tenantId}"}

Pattern 4: Time-Based Access

{
  "_id": "timeLimitedAccess",
  "roles": ["premium"],
  "predicate": "path-prefix('/premium-content')",
  "priority": 100,
  "mongo": {
    "readFilter": {
      "$or": [
        {"expiresAt": {"$gt": "@now"}},
        {"expiresAt": {"$exists": false}}
      ]
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

Permission Not Applied

  1. Check if the predicate matches your request

  2. Verify the user has the specified roles

  3. Check if a higher priority permission is overriding it

  4. Ensure the collection/file is correctly configured in the authorizer settings

writeFilter Not Preventing Creation

writeFilter only restricts updates to existing documents. Use mergeRequest to enforce fields on creation and bson-request-whitelist to limit allowed fields.

Variables Not Resolving

Ensure you’re using the correct syntax: - @user._id for user properties - ${variable} for path template variables - Quotes around strings: value='"draft"'

Additional Resources

Tip
 Watch Authorization via file and MongoDB for a video tutorial on permissions.